Rum Raisin Challah Bread

This recipe yields enough dough for 2 challah breads. I made one challah with rum-raisins and one I kept plain, without fruit.

Serving Size: 2 slices, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick

Prep Time20

Total Time5

Course: bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Austrian, Czech, German, russian, Slovak, Ukranian

Keyword: challah, challah bread, rum-raisin challah, sweet bread

Servings: 20 servings

Author: Hani

1/2 cup raisins This amount is sufficient for a single challah; use 1 cup of raisins when you desire the whole batch of dough with rum-raisins.
dark rum For non alcoholic version use boiling water instead of alcohol

Soak raisins (1/2 cup) in rum or boiling hot water. Pour rum over the raisins to submerge them. Let it sit until plum and soft, about 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

In a bowl, whisk warm water (1 cup), yeast (5 ½ teaspoons), honey (1 teaspoon), and flour (1 tablespoon). Set aside for 5-10 minutes, until foamy.

Sift all-purpose flour (4 ½ cups, 630 grams) into a mixing bowl, add salt, and stir to combine.
Reserve 1/2 cup (70 grams) of flour. If the dough appears too sticky, add a little more while kneading. Some flours are moister than others.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs (2 whole eggs), egg yolks (3 egg yolks), honey (1/2 cup, 170 grams), sugar (2 tablespoons), Vanilla bean paste (1 tablespoon), oil (3 tablespoons,45ml/40grams), and soft butter chunks (3/4 cup, 170 grams), set aside.
Once the yeast sponge is ready, pour it over the flour, then pour in the egg-butter mixture. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Knead the dough using the hook attachment at the lowest speed for 3-4 minutes, then set the mixer to the knead speed and knead for an additional 10 minutes. Dough should be soft but not wet; if it appears too wet and sticky, add more flour by tablespoons.
Once smooth, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute or two.

Divide the dough into two halves. Drain the raisins and knead them gently into one half of the dough. Shape both into a ball.
Transfer the doughs into mixing bowls coated with some oil. Cover with a plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2-3 hours.

Invert well-risen doughs onto a lightly floured work surface. The dough will be soft.
Divide each dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each piece into a snake. Braid the bread.

Carefully transfer braided breads onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Brush braided bread with egg wash.
Cover loosely with a well-oiled food wrap and let rise again for 1 to 1½ hours. Until well risen with a pillowy appearance.
Gently press a finger into the risen dough. Watch what happens: if the indentation slowly springs back, leaving a slight depression in the dough, it's ready for the oven.

Preheat oven to 350℉/180℃
Brush each loaf again with egg wash, just before baking. Avoid drips.
Bake at 350℉/180℃ for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 330℉-340℉ for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cover the top with foil to prevent overly-browned tops.
Bake until the digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 190℉, or if you don't have a thermometer, tap the bottom of the bread. If it makes a hollow sound, it's done.
Let it cool on a cooling rack before slicing or storing.

Can I freeze Challah? Challah can be frozen for up to 3 months. I prefer to freeze it sliced.
What can I make with Challah bread? Use it to make French toast and bread pudding. I love it with butter and jam.
Can I use less butter? Yes, use 1/2 cup (113 grams) of butter.